Gavin Levey was delighted with Aberdeen Women’s 1-0 win over Dundee United – a victory which secured the Dons’ place in SWPL 1 next season.
It looked like the Reds were going to be held to a 0-0 draw at Balmoral Stadium, but Bayley Hutchison netted a 92nd-minute winner to secure all three points.
The win means Aberdeen move seven points clear of 11th-placed Hamilton Accies, who occupy the relegation play-off spot with two games left to play, and are now five ahead of United in tenth.
Levey, who has been in interim charge since November, was delighted to secure the team’s place in the top-flight after a challenging campaign.
He said: “When I came in here, I never knew that the challenge of the league would be as hard as it has become.
“Even when you’ve managed to pick up points on the roads against the teams ahead of us, and you think it’s going to be valuable, other results don’t go your way and it can really change things.
“We’re all absolutely buzzing in there after the game.
“Even though this season has been up and down – with the change of management and everything else – it’s nights like this they’ll remember forever.
“If I’m honest, I don’t think we would have ever went down if had gone to a dreaded play-off – there’s far too much quality here.”
Aberdeen start strong but Dundee United react in second half
Against United, Levey made one change from Sunday’s 6-2 defeat to Spartans, with Mya Christie coming in for Bailley Collins, who dropped to the bench.
Meanwhile, captain Loren Campbell was making her last home appearance for Aberdeen after announcing her plans to retire at the end of the season.
Aberdeen were the brighter of the teams over the first 45 minutes and had decent chances to get an early opener.
Eilidh Shore had two headers off target, while Donna Paterson’s effort was cleared off the line by Neve Guthrie following a corner.
At the other end, Annalisa McCann denied Dundee United’s top goalscorer Danni McGinley, before making a decent stop to also deny Jade McLaren on the rebound.
In the second half, United were the first to go close as McLaren hit a floated effort from the edge of the box, but McCann was alert and did well to make the diving save.
Dundee United were the better side over most of the second period and Georgie Robb had a glorious chance to net the opener, but her curling strike was matched with a fantastic diving stop from McCann.
There were a manic few minutes late on as Aberdeen started to pile on the pressure, with Madison Finnie denied by an outstretched Fiona McNicoll in the United goal, before Ogilvie saw her effort dip just over the bar.
In two previous meetings against Dundee United this season, Hutchison has scored late winners – and it’s what she did again when Shore played her through with a superb pass. The forward kept her composure and slotted the ball beyond goalie McNicoll to seal the victory.
Levey added: “Bayley has massive potential. You have to treat every player differently, but she’s one you have to push hard to keep going – but she’s shown tonight why she stays on the pitch.
“They were all on their last legs after doing so much running, but Bayley did so well to take her chance like she did at the end of the game and to have that composure.
“If she hadn’t been running the ball into the corner in the last few seconds, she probably could have gone and got a second goal!”
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